Man arrested after fight at Sea-Tac Airport results in death

A fight Saturday over a piece of equipment at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport resulted in the death of one man and the arrest of a second, King County prosecutors said.

According to an airport spokesman and documents filed in King County Superior Court, a 27-year old cargo service contract worker got into a dispute with an employee of Korean Air while the two were in a cargo area at the north end of the airport.

The dispute escalated and the 27-year-old slapped the other man in the face, causing him to fall onto concrete and strike the back of his head, court documents allege.

The victim, whose identity has not yet been released, died at Harborview Medical Center.

The suspect is being held in lieu of $1 million bail on investigation of second-degree murder, but has not yet been charged in connection with the death. He waived his first court appearance on Monday and is scheduled to make his second appearance in court on Wednesday, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The deadline for filing charges is Wednesday, according to prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe.

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The Today File is a general news blog featuring real-time coverage of Seattle and the Northwest. It is reported by the news staff of The Seattle Times and includes stories from The Associated Press and McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.